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| Nigeria's Boko Haram crisis reaches deadliest phase | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Since the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls two months ago and subsequent international promises of assistance to Nigeria, attacks by Islamist Boko Haram militants have been relentless. | Since the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls two months ago and subsequent international promises of assistance to Nigeria, attacks by Islamist Boko Haram militants have been relentless. |
| This year has been without doubt the most violent stage of the conflict so far, with at least 3,300 people killed in Boko Haram-related violence since January. | This year has been without doubt the most violent stage of the conflict so far, with at least 3,300 people killed in Boko Haram-related violence since January. |
| And where the insurgents are operating they are killing, looting and torching entire villages often with little or no resistance. | And where the insurgents are operating they are killing, looting and torching entire villages often with little or no resistance. |
| "If government can't protect us, let them give us guns," one resident of a village near Chibok, from where the girls were abducted, told me. | "If government can't protect us, let them give us guns," one resident of a village near Chibok, from where the girls were abducted, told me. |
| "We are sick and tired of running away every night," he said, adding that people were increasingly relying on traditional medicine for protection - performing rituals in a desperate hope of becoming what is known as "bulletproof". | "We are sick and tired of running away every night," he said, adding that people were increasingly relying on traditional medicine for protection - performing rituals in a desperate hope of becoming what is known as "bulletproof". |
| Hit and occupy | Hit and occupy |
| Given the nature of a counter-insurgency, the military faces a huge challenge. | Given the nature of a counter-insurgency, the military faces a huge challenge. |
| Boko Haram fighters can hide out and then converge to pick a target, easily outnumbering the defensive troops at that location. | Boko Haram fighters can hide out and then converge to pick a target, easily outnumbering the defensive troops at that location. |
| "The army has to be everywhere; Boko Haram does not," says James Hall, a retired colonel and former UK military attache to Nigeria. | "The army has to be everywhere; Boko Haram does not," says James Hall, a retired colonel and former UK military attache to Nigeria. |
| "The Nigerian military is outgunned because Boko Haram can concentrate its firepower on one place where the army is not present. | "The Nigerian military is outgunned because Boko Haram can concentrate its firepower on one place where the army is not present. |
| "They need a lot higher density of troops per square mile in the north-east than they have." | "They need a lot higher density of troops per square mile in the north-east than they have." |
| But there are also complaints of being totally let down by the military in the worst-affected areas. | But there are also complaints of being totally let down by the military in the worst-affected areas. |
| Take Gwoza district in Borno state for example, where the militants have raised black-and-white jihadist flags in several villages. | Take Gwoza district in Borno state for example, where the militants have raised black-and-white jihadist flags in several villages. |
| On 1 June, they attacked a church in Attagara, killing nine people - but the villagers retaliated, killing many more militants. | On 1 June, they attacked a church in Attagara, killing nine people - but the villagers retaliated, killing many more militants. |
| Two days later, the insurgents returned to punish the entire village. | Two days later, the insurgents returned to punish the entire village. |
| After tricking people into thinking they were soldiers who had come to protect them, they opened fire - chasing those who fled on motorbikes. | After tricking people into thinking they were soldiers who had come to protect them, they opened fire - chasing those who fled on motorbikes. |
| Survivors hid in the nearby hills from where they could see billowing smoke as village after village came under attack. | Survivors hid in the nearby hills from where they could see billowing smoke as village after village came under attack. |
| They told the BBC that more than a week after the attacks started soldiers had not reached the area. | They told the BBC that more than a week after the attacks started soldiers had not reached the area. |
| These were not hit-and-run attacks, they were hit and occupy. | These were not hit-and-run attacks, they were hit and occupy. |
| It was too dangerous for men to go back to the village and young women risked abduction, so they sent elderly women to bury the dead. | It was too dangerous for men to go back to the village and young women risked abduction, so they sent elderly women to bury the dead. |
| "The women went around with their hoes and dug shallow graves where they found the corpses," a survivor said. | "The women went around with their hoes and dug shallow graves where they found the corpses," a survivor said. |
| Neither the government nor the military said a word about the attacks until 6 June. | Neither the government nor the military said a word about the attacks until 6 June. |
| Who are Boko Haram? | Who are Boko Haram? |
| Who are Boko Haram? | Who are Boko Haram? |
| Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau | Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau |
| Why Nigeria has not defeated Boko Haram | Why Nigeria has not defeated Boko Haram |
| It has also been suggested that soldiers have not had the equipment they need to fight this war, despite massive increases in the security budget in recent years. | It has also been suggested that soldiers have not had the equipment they need to fight this war, despite massive increases in the security budget in recent years. |
| In February, President Goodluck Jonathan was angered when the Borno state governor said Boko Haram was better equipped and motivated than the military. | In February, President Goodluck Jonathan was angered when the Borno state governor said Boko Haram was better equipped and motivated than the military. |
| Last week, he seemed to be admitting there was a problem after all. | Last week, he seemed to be admitting there was a problem after all. |
| "I assure you that those issues of equipment and other things for the military, we're handling them," he was quoted as saying. | "I assure you that those issues of equipment and other things for the military, we're handling them," he was quoted as saying. |
| Recent international summits on Boko Haram have suited the Nigerian government. | Recent international summits on Boko Haram have suited the Nigerian government. |
| Having been accused of playing down the gravity of the insurgency, President Jonathan has recently been referring to the group as "al-Qaeda in West Africa", in what some see as an effort to internationalise the issue and spread the blame. | Having been accused of playing down the gravity of the insurgency, President Jonathan has recently been referring to the group as "al-Qaeda in West Africa", in what some see as an effort to internationalise the issue and spread the blame. |
| Although Boko Haram is known to have had links to al-Qaeda-affiliated groups, it is still a very Nigerian problem, and to keep the north-east safe, improvements to the military are needed. | Although Boko Haram is known to have had links to al-Qaeda-affiliated groups, it is still a very Nigerian problem, and to keep the north-east safe, improvements to the military are needed. |
| Exodus | Exodus |
| But there is no quick fix, even with heavy reinforcements. | But there is no quick fix, even with heavy reinforcements. |
| "Lack of communications equipment and mobility make rapid response extremely difficult," Mr Hall said. | "Lack of communications equipment and mobility make rapid response extremely difficult," Mr Hall said. |
| "New equipment, new training and new people are all required - and that takes time." | "New equipment, new training and new people are all required - and that takes time." |
| The schoolgirl abductions put the insurgency in the world's spotlight but the incessant killings since then have not created anything like the same attention. | The schoolgirl abductions put the insurgency in the world's spotlight but the incessant killings since then have not created anything like the same attention. |
| Politics matters | Politics matters |
| "The thing I've noticed is that conflicts, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, fade from the headlines pretty quickly," the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, told the BBC after a visit to Nigeria last week. | "The thing I've noticed is that conflicts, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, fade from the headlines pretty quickly," the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, told the BBC after a visit to Nigeria last week. |
| "Boko Haram are a group of the upmost evil. The militants are dealing out death right, left and centre without hesitation and without mercy." | "Boko Haram are a group of the upmost evil. The militants are dealing out death right, left and centre without hesitation and without mercy." |
| The Nigerian authorities were heavily criticised after the abductions - not because the atrocity had been allowed to happen but because there was disbelief that it was hardly registering on the government's radar. | The Nigerian authorities were heavily criticised after the abductions - not because the atrocity had been allowed to happen but because there was disbelief that it was hardly registering on the government's radar. |
| President Jonathan was being told that it was all a ploy by political opponents and rather than focusing on rescuing the girls, more energy seemed to be spent playing down the scale of the tragedy. | President Jonathan was being told that it was all a ploy by political opponents and rather than focusing on rescuing the girls, more energy seemed to be spent playing down the scale of the tragedy. |
| Given that criticism, Archbishop Welby was asked whether he thought the government was now taking Boko Haram seriously. | Given that criticism, Archbishop Welby was asked whether he thought the government was now taking Boko Haram seriously. |
| "There is no question this is the dominant issue in the country at any moment with all the senior people you talk to or listen to," was his response. | "There is no question this is the dominant issue in the country at any moment with all the senior people you talk to or listen to," was his response. |
| But many Nigerians disagree. | But many Nigerians disagree. |
| There is an election in less than a year and everything is being seen through that prism. | There is an election in less than a year and everything is being seen through that prism. |
| If the primary focus of all the politicians was keeping people safe from Boko Haram attacks, the situation in the north-east would improve considerably. | If the primary focus of all the politicians was keeping people safe from Boko Haram attacks, the situation in the north-east would improve considerably. |
| But it is not and that is the tragedy. | But it is not and that is the tragedy. |
| As the killings continue, the political campaigning goes up another gear each month. | As the killings continue, the political campaigning goes up another gear each month. |